Creative Business Online

I’ve been online for several years - first as a writer - now as a writer/internet marketer. I’ve made plenty of mistakes - and I keep on making them! And yes, I’ve done some things right, too. So I thought I’d take the time to reflect on what I’ve learned over the past year or so since I made the transition into internet marketing.

• Start building a list right away. It’s an excellent way to communicate with your readers. It doesn’t even need to be complicated - just an update over what’s going on in your blog or website will do the trick.
• Always specify a tracking ID when using Clickbank. At first, I didn’t. Now, a product I promoted a while back is starting to see some sales, and I don’t even remember where my content page is where I put the links! I started right away with Commission Junction but I’ve been making more sales with Clickbank products lately.
• Pick one thing and stick with it. I’ve spent at least the past three months trying something and not sticking it out. Pick SOMETHING and stick with it. Lately I’ve been “going back to basics” and learning about starting an affiliate business from the bottom up. I’ve been reading the Super Affiliate Handbook to help me get there. I’ve read a ton of ebooks about successful internet marketing, but none of them have been this comprehensive. Rosalind Gardner even outlines how to set up the organizational system behind the business.
• Stick with my passions. I knew something was wrong when I started a blog on “How to Save Money on Gas” and I got so bored, I stopped posting to it. The research into the topic indicated that it would be a good market to promote. I just had no desire to write the content required to back the topic up. I believe that people can tell if you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing and they respond to that. And, the last thing I want is to have a J.O.B at home when I have full control over what I do
• Start a website right away. I am having a lot more fun with this blog than I ever had with my free blogger blogs. There’s something about having your own site … It’s much like having your own house as opposed to renting an apartment. The sad thing is, I had this domain reserved for well over a year before I did anything with it.
• I went with the wrong web host at first. I started off using a hosting company that I didn’t end up liking. They were expensive, their service wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, the customer service was frustrating. I made the switch over to Hostgator and have been much happier.